Photo: Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene
Images:
Michelle Trachtenberg, in a vintage skirt and top with Kwiat diamonds and a Cesare Paciotti clutch.
Kate Bosworth, in vintage Chanel Haute Couture
Caroline Trentini, in vintage Thierry Mugler and Van Cleef & Arpels jewelry.
Anna Sui, in vintage Zandra Rhodes and boots of her own design.
And some notable non-vintage looks:
Sarah Brown
Maggie Gyllenhaal
Dita Von Teese
Check out the rest of the images, all 164 of them!, at Style.com
Shirmpton Couture and Style It also have some images and commentary on the big event.]]>
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dress: hatfeathersvintage.com
shoes: zappos.com
bangle: myriadlife.co.uk
bag: yoox.com]]>
Celebrating its 20th anniversary, the Vintage Fashion Expo will be stopping by the Santa Civic Auditorium this Mother's Day Weekend.
Bring Mom and have a great time checking out the biggest and best curated collection of vintage clothing, shoes and accessories. I'll be there taking video with my new Flip camera.
Details:
Saturday May 10 10:30 AM to 6 PM
Sunday, May 11 from 11 AM to 5 PM
Santa Monica Civic Auditorium
1855 Main Street at Pico Boulevard
Tickets cost $10, $20 for early buying admission on Saturday at 9 AM (a number of fashion professionals take advantage of the Expo's early buy)
All tickets are good for both days
For more information, please call (707) 793-0773.
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available at old-clothes.com]]>
Sunday, at brunch, I was telling the girls that lately I've been receiving emails from people asking me to help them pinpoint the era of beloved treasures - family photos, vintage accessories. Tink exclaimed, "You're a History Detective!". I had such a good time helping a gentleman figure out who the relatives were in a set of antique photographs. We were able to determine that the mystery family members were alive in the late 1800s due to their attire. He was able to determine who these folks were and what their relation was. He was so grateful and happy.
Just last week, a really nice woman named Monica contacted me from Italy and wanted to know about her Gucci medallion clutch. She was trying to decide if she should keep or sell her grandmother's bag. After I told her how much its current value is, she decided to keep the heirloom. The internet has really made it easy for people with specialized needs to connect with people who have specialized skills. It felt really good to help two people answer some questions that they may not have been able to answer if it weren't for the web.
In light of all this connecting, digging and detective work, I have decided to add a service to Debutante Clothing. If you have questions about a vintage item, especially if it involves fashion, please email me. The digging is what makes selling vintage fun!
Disclaimer: I am not a certified appraiser. I cannot give documentation establishing value for purposes of insuring. The only thing I can ethically (and probably legally) do is give you an estimate on how much the item has recently sold for or an approximate age and some background info, based on my years of experience and resources.]]>
Dress available at Net-a-porter.com
Shoes available at Zappos.com
Bag available at Retrodesignerdeals.com]]>
Not much vintage clothing and accessories is sold at this event. The furniture is always displayed in potential living arrangements - it's like IKEA but with luxe, rare furniture scored around the globe.
SANTA MONICA CIVIC AUDITORIUM
1855 Main St.
Santa Monica, CA 90401-3209
Corner of Pico & Main St.
GALA OPENING NIGHT PARTY - 2008
May 2nd - 6pm - 9pm
REGULAR ADMISSION
May 3rd- 11am - 7pm
May 4th - 11am - 5pm
Admission $15 - includes show catalog
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See more of my Summer Flats for Work list at ThisNext.
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Levi Strauss & Co. has found a lucrative niche in their 100-year-old clothing line -reproduction jeans.
Levi's® newest addition to their line is the 1966 646™ bell bottoms as seen on vintage maven Nicole Richie. Levi takes selvage, dead stock fabric and manufactures a whole line based on the original 1966 pattern. The new/old line of jeans retails for $78-$154 and comes in two colors.
However, a quick search on eBay reveals that original vintage Levi's® 646™ bell bottoms have sold for as little as $17.99 up to $170, with a few pairs being new-old stock.
As much as I love vintage clothing, sometimes I am in favor of reproductions because clothing from very early decades is impossible to find in good condition or in wearable sizes. But I am torn about the 1966 646™ bell bottom Levis, which truthfully are more of a flare than a bell bottom. Do you think it's better to buy them new or vintage?
(Photo © levisstore.com)
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Chunky, clunky and beautiful plastic necklaces and bangles are the accessories of choice for Art Deco lovers. We can thank Leo H. Baekeland for creating the wonder plastic that was used in everything from radios to billiard balls. After the Depression (or "Economic Slow Down") women who wanted to cheer up an outfit wore inexpensive, but beautiful Bakelite jewelry. And the pretty little plastic baubles caught on - even rich ladies wanted an arm full of colorful bangles.
Bakelite jewelry seems to only go up in price and you can still find it at thrift stores, which goes to show how resilient the plastic is. I just found a butterscotch swirled bangle with an embedded serpentine metal ring. Score!
The vintage find for this week is a gorgeous set of butterscotch and caramel Bakelite necklace and earrings. The tortoiseshell like hearts really take this necklace the realm of fashion versus collectible. And at only $200 for the set, it's a steal!
available at JewelDiva.com]]>